Young Woman's Iron High

GOOD HEALTH

May 14, 1996|Dr. Paul Donohue

Dear Dr. Donohue: When my daughter, 28, went to give blood, she was told she has a high amount of iron. She's very busy and works long hours, but she takes good care of herself and jogs. What happens with too much iron in the blood? She doesn't seem to be worried. - Mrs. B.K.

Dear Mrs. B.K.: Elevated iron in a young woman is uncommon, given that she loses so much of it in the natural course of menstruation. In fact, young women tend to be a bit low in iron.

I don't know how high your daughter's iron figure was. Continued high readings would raise the specter of hemochromatosis, whereby extra iron gets stored in organs. The pancreas often becomes a storage target, and in time its insulin production wanes, resulting in diabetes.

Cirrhotic liver is another consequence of iron storage, and the heart can be affected.

You hint at a possible relationship between the finding and your daughter's busy schedule. You might be on the right track. One might ask if her activity has somehow interfered with normal menstruation.

I hope these questions prompt you to urge your daughter to get some answers.

Dear Dr. Donohue: Awhile back, I was diagnosed as having glossopharyngeal neuralgia. It was very painful. I would like to know if there is a special cause for it. Also, is it likely to recur? And is there any prevention? - G.C.

Dear G.C.: Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is a nerve problem. Paroxysms of pain originate in the throat, an area served by the glossopharyngeal nerve. The pain might spread to the ear. The swallowing instinct can be the trigger.

We do not know the cause. Could it come back? Yes. Will it? No one can predict. I know of no preventive measures. Dear Dr. Donohue: I was told I have a degenerating disk in my back. What causes it? Can it be helped? I am only 50. - J.L.

Dear J.L.: Many 50-year-old men have degenerative disk disease. It comes with age, and can be noted in even earlier years.

Once you consider the back's function and its construction, it's easy to understand why.

Gel-filled absorbers separate the spine's vertebral sections. Into that vulnerable situation comes an age-related drying process and a gradual loss of elasticity. The many people who face the problem need to avoid exacerbating situations. I would not want to see you do exercises that demand neck strain, for example.

Should the disks' gel interior begin protruding through their outer rims, then one can consider surgical correction. Disk degeneration should prompt a more careful lifestyle.